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How to Get Student Visa For The UK

When you chose to go to the UK for studies, you have to pick between the student
visa and the student visitor visa. You will have to pick the right route depending
on your age, the length of the course and the level of the course you’re looking
to take up. The three categories are:

Adult Students

Child Students

Student Visitor

Adult Students

If you are an adult student, you will have to apply to travel to and remain in the
UK under the Tier 4 (General) section of the point-based system. The points-based
system is specifically meant for immigrants who are interested in staying in the
UK as students. The only task they’ll be allowed is to pursue an educational program.

There are certain countries and regions that are exempted from applying in this
category. In that case, applicants won’t need to apply for a visa as an adult student.
You can travel to and study in the UK without a visa, provided that you meet the
following criteria:

You are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland;

You are a British overseas territories citizen (except the students who hail from
the sovereign base areas in Cyprus)

You are a Commonwealth citizen with permission to enter or stay in the UK (with
at least one of your grandparents born here)

You have no conditions or time limit related to your stay.

In either case, there are some restrictions on how many hours a student can work
while in the UK. There may be further restrictions on your ability to work if you
are from an EU country that was included in the EU after 2004.

Child Students

If you are a child student, you will have to apply to travel to and remain in the
UK under the Tier 4 (Child) section of the point-based system. The points-based
system is specifically meant for immigrants who are interested in staying in the
UK as students. The only task they’ll be allowed is to pursue an educational program.
Further details:

The age brackets for child students are between four and seventeen years of age.

Children between the age group of four and fifteen who are coming for school education
will be allowed to be educated only at independent fee-paying schools and not at
publicly funded schools.

If you are sixteen or seventeen years of age, your Tier 4 sponsor will have to decide
on the General or Child (tier 4) visa application for you.

Student Visitor

A student visitor is someone who is coming to the UK to study for a period of up
to six months. They have to be eighteen years or above and must have been accepted
to a course of study at an accepted institution. It is very rare for authorities
to allow any extension on this visa. It will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.